Posted on 07/06/2005 9:37:11 PM PDT by nwrep
SMUG French President Jacques Chirac’s world fell apart in just 24 hours as London won the Olympic bid and bookies’ favourite Paris was doomed.
At 2pm British time on Tuesday he was crowing like a French cockerel in Singapore that “you can put your trust in France — you can trust the French.”
But by 6pm yesterday — after he heard the decision as he flew in for the G8 summit at Gleneagles — it was all over. He had egg on his face as he was forced to say “I congratulate England” through gritted teeth.
Cocky Chirac had mocked Britain’s farmers and its food in the run-up to the IOC decision, saying that our nation’s only contribution to European farming was Mad Cow Disease and that only Finland had worse food than Britain.
“You can’t trust people who cook as badly as that,” the pompous fool had mocked.
Yesterday it was his people who were left with a bad taste in their mouths — London’s win was harder for Parisians to swallow than a piece of the toughest French beef.
And as they lined up along the Champs Elysées, preening themselves in preparation of victory celebrations, miserable Chirac’s words stuck in their throats.
Postal worker Pierre Lapous, 42, raged: “It’s all Chirac’s fault. If he hadn’t insulted England earlier in the week we would have won easily. London deserves its victory.”
Student Madeleine Latour, 19, fumed: “This is a disaster. Now we have nothing. It’s all down to our stupid president. He should resign immediately.”
Jerome Avel, 33, a banker, seethed: “Chirac was a disaster for the entire campaign. He knows nothing about sportsmanship.”
And cafe worker Olivier Delao, 29, said: “Chirac has ruined everything. He has been an appalling figurehead for our country.”
Chirac’s daft comments could have swung the vote as TWO of the IOC delegates were FINNISH.
Many Paris fans looked close to tears when they heard the result. Others held their heads in their hands.
And the French were just as crazed with grief in Singapore, where the announcement was made. Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe had to comfort his weeping press officer Anne-Sylvie Schneider. And with more than a hint of sour grapes — a French speciality — the mayor questioned British tactics in the bidding process.
Delanoe whinged: “I would like to be fair and congratulate London and the Londoners. I was very nice with the Mayor of London and my friend, Ken Livingstone.
“But I was not that nice with all the members of the London bid because I am not quite sure that we took part in the competition with the same tools and spirit.”
Back in Paris, the rain had already started to fall as 1,000 supporters gathered outside the Hotel De Ville in Paris as the announcement approached.
They ignored the watery omen and cheered loudly as first Moscow, then New York, then Madrid were eliminated. They booed every mention of London. When our capital was announced as the winner they fell into stunned silence.
A few, eyes swivelling like mad cows, gave rude hand gestures; a few more wept; and many sloped off quietly with their tails between their legs.
Jubilant Britons among the crowd might have wondered how you can trust anyone who loses as badly as that.
On the streets of Moscow, New York and Madrid, the mood was subdued but they had not been as cocksure as the French.
In the Big Apple a planned Rockefeller Centre victory party instead turned into an outdoor wake.
In Moscow some hooted car horns in dismay but most stood quietly. Hundreds of people in the Spanish capital, waving Madrid 2012 and national flags, suddenly fell silent before erupting into a chorus of boos, whistles and insults.
In Paris, as the inconsolable crowds trudged away, the rain fell heavier on one of their darkest days.
PING
Brutal, and so well done!
LOL - Oh Jacques you are unbelievable - LOL
Excuse me as I reach for a hankie...LOL!!!
SCREW THE FROGS!!!
Schadenfreunde! The Brits got their gloat on!!
Ah, Boot, zay steel av zer "frog legs, n'est pas?
ROFLMBO Ping
The French.....jeez.
Ah... What a pity...
:)
hehehe...Chirac got what he deserved...BURNED.
That was the fun read of the day! :)
Also, think about the fact that Hillary lost it for NYC, even after invoking 9-11.
Zat iss wat ees cahld beeing "french fried". Oh La La!!
i wanted so badly to fly to france and kick that pompous ass in the teeth, but then i realized, "hey, the IOC just did that for me..." vive la FU, you scum-sucking socialist prick...
is there any wonder why the french like and eat, act, and whine like the very spineless invertibrates they eat, snails...? here's one for cannabilism...
Hillary invokes 9-11, and loses.
HA! :)
Not only does the world hate france...But the French Hate France...It doesnt get much better than this.
rotflmao!!!!
And cafe worker Olivier Delao, 29, said: “Chirac has ruined everything. He has been an appalling figurehead for our country.”
...snort....
ROTFLOL!!!
Hail Brittania!
***Tuesday he was crowing like a French cockerel ***
More like a little Banty rooster that has just been caponed!
I like this man.
Student Madeleine Latour, 19, fumed: “This is a disaster. Now we have nothing. It’s all down to our stupid president. He should resign immediately.”
It must be sad to be a citizen of a nation which has NOTHING without some games.
Maybe the French are tired of being nothing.
Coq au vin!
Does anyone in Paris have a life? Anyone in France? Anyone in EUROPE at all?!
No wonder it's so easy for Lance Armstrong to beat them in their own bicycle race.
It is hard for me to understand why either nation cares so much where the games are held. Aren't the Games usually the cause of enormous budget overruns and subsequent deficits? Aren't they an unbelievably costly boondoggle and security headache? Don't they usually leave the host country with crumbling shells where the sports were contested? What am I missing? I mean, I love the Olympics, but I'd much rather they be held at some other country's expense and I wasn't enthusiastic about the local suggestion that the Games be held someday in Washington DC.
The French had been led to believe that they would win this easily; Chirac staked what remained of his personal reputation on this. It is not overstating matters that what happened yesterday has effectively decapitated the French government.
Regards, Ivan
In the case of the French, this was one of the few things that was likely to dent their unemployment rate.
Regards, Ivan
On his very own initiative he blew Paris' excellent chance for the Olympics with a few well-chosen obnoxious comments.
Unfortunately not, the French President cannot be removed with a no confidence vote. I'm not sure when the next election to the National Assembly is...however, the French electorate can punish Chirac's party at that juncture. Chirac is due to be out of office in 2007, I believe.
Regards, Ivan
It wasn't just his comments; he tried to exercise "personal diplomacy" whilst in Singapore. Blair is very good at personal diplomacy - Chirac is appalling. THus, the result.
Regards, Ivan
This is just so great. And Hillary screwed it up for New York.
To a great friend Tony Blair -- congratulations.
Ivan, everyone here whoopied and squeeled with delight when you guys got it!!!
:-)
Fruck the Fench
Semper Fi
You are amazing
Always new stuff
That is a good one
The French are expected to win the new Olympic game, "the 100 yard retreat".
Good to see there's still a little bit of justice left in the world...
Looks like France has their own Howard Dean. LMAOROF
It's all Chirac's fault.
Congratulations on London's well-earned and richly-deserved win of the 2012 Olympics.
I still recall a trip I made to London I made a mere three weeks after 9/11, when I had occasion to meet and confer with a few of the MOD's fine folk from over Whitehall way - share a bottle of chablis with them as the evening wore on...
Their supportiveness and unstinting - almost patriotic affinity for America, their personal warmth, and hale, hearty welcoming of me into their fellowship put the lie to the myth of Brits as cold, stand-offish types (not that I had ever much embraced that notion, but I confess it had at least slightly tinctured and tempered some of my expectations.
As the Deputy Director of Comm. (DCSA messaging, London) stated, "Support? The bloody Germans are saying "Ja, Ja ve vill support you" but what are they sending? what are they offering? A bloody hospital ship?! Bollocks! That's what I say. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you chaps - bloody shoulder to shoulder
It was heartening to find such ready rapport among contemporaries - especially as our countries together undertook to cut the legs from beneath the taliban.
Good things do happen to good people - and this could not happen to a nicer lot.
Cheers!
A.A.C.
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